'The Southwark Tavern'

The Southwark Tavern, on Southwark Street, is a wonderful pub situated on a corner opposite the busy Borough Market.

Its caramel-coloured tiles and leaded windows give the building an appealing look, especially in this area on the south bank.

Inside, the pub is not overly lit, which, along with its dark wood panelling, harkens back to days of old.

There is a large bar offering a wide selection of drinks, while meals can be ordered to be eaten at the various tables. 

South Bank Lion

Shining white against a black night.

Crossing Westminster Bridge, heading south, you will be met with a sculpture of a White Lion, standing on a plinth beside County Hall. 

The lion has been there since 1966, although, as it turns out, it is much older than it appears. 

An inscription on one of the lion's paws reads... 'WFW Coade 24 May 1837'.

William Frederick Woodington was a sculptor at the Royal Academy's School of Sculpture and used Coade Stone, a ceramic material, to sculpt the lion in 1837.

A wonderful profile of the lion.

The lion sculpture once adorned the top of the Lion Brewery, which stood roughly where the Royal Festival Hall now stands today.

Oxo Tower

The original façade of the former power station.

Walking along the South Bank, of the River Thames, there is a myriad style of architecture, with old buildings sitting beside new tower blocks, but, somehow, it works.

It is hard to imagine, but the Oxo building was originally a power station, which opened towards the end of the 1800s, supplying power to the Royal Mail post office.

The windows, built into the tower, hint at what the building would become, following its closure as a power station, but it is these windows that would cause a controversy.

Golden Carousel

The Golden Carousel, during the day.

If you take a trip down the Queen's Walk on the South Bank, you will discover a Carousel that is always running, come rain or shine. It is the only fairground ride along this stretch of pedestrianised pavement and so looks a little out of place. 

You can almost certainly guarantee that whenever I am passing it, my girls will want to take a ride on it, regardless of the weather or time of day. And who am I to object?

Erin and Keilyn enjoying a ride on the Golden Carousel, on a sunny afternoon.

Many people assume, wrongly, that it is just like all the other Carousels that are seen around the country and the world, throughout the warmer months.

London Dungeon

 

It's time to scream

Sunday, June 27, 2021

Planning things to do in and around the Unfinished City is tricky at the best of times. With the pandemic affecting ticket sales and the capacity of attractions, planning becomes a major factor. Then, you have to wonder what the Morrissey girls want to do. Erin decided that we should visit the London Dungeon, which Keilyn seconded. 

Having visited the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the previous afternoon, stayed at a Premier Inn for the night, we were in the perfect position to make the most of our Sunday.

After breakfast we collected our things, from our room, and checked out of the hotel.

We then headed along the River Thames, towards the MillenniuM footbridge and St. Paul's Cathedral.

St. Paul's Cathedral.

From here we headed along Ludgate Hill to Fleet Street, from where we turned onto Essex Street and down onto the Victoria Embankment.

From here it was a short walk to Embankment Station, where we grabbed a drink and the girls made use of the facilities. 

We then headed across the Golden Jubilee Bridge and down on to the South Bank and the Queen's Walk. A spot of lunch and rest, was followed by the girls going for a ride on a Carousel.

Erin and Keilyn on the Carousel.

After being entertained by some of the street performers, that pepper the Queen's Walk, we headed off to the London Dungeon.

'Ancient of Days' by William Balke

Urizen in William Blake's 'Ancient of Days'.

Sunday December 1, 2019

From Thursday November 28, 2019 (what would have been William Blake's 262nd birthday) to Sunday December 1, William Blake's 'Ancient of Days' painting, was projected onto the dome of St Paul's Cathedral.

It was a cold afternoon as I, my two girls and my mum made our way along the South Bank towards the Tate Modern, and a spot where we would be able to see this once-in-a-lifetime event.

Arriving at the Tate Modern, we headed up to the viewing platform, which offered a more unobstructed view than from the riverside, but was far colder. After taking a few photos of the skyline, in the still light afternoon, we decided to take some shelter inside the cafe area and warmed up.

Just before 16:15, as the winter sky darkened, the painting began to emerge against the backdrop of the dome of St Paul's Cathedral. The colours, becoming more prominent with each passing minute. With the wind picking up we headed down to the riverside, which, despite its openness, was less cold. Go figure.

A few more photos of the dome, the painting, the various boats and bridges were taken, before we headed back towards the South Bank Centre, in search of some hot food and a drink.

From Thursday November 28, 2019 (what would have been William Blake's 262nd birthday) to Sunday December 1, William Blake's 'Ancient of Days' painting, was projected onto the dome of St Paul's Cathedral. 

Foragers of the Foreshore Exhibition

A varied selection of Mudlarking finds, from the foreshore of the River Thames.

Sunday September 29, 2019.

It was a drizzly morning as Emma, Erin, Keilyn, my mum, uncle Martin and I headed off to London, via the Metropolitan line. Changing on to a Jubilee line train, at Finchley Road, we continued our journey to Waterloo. From here it was just a short walk to Oxo Tower Wharf, and the Bargehouse, where the Foragers of the Foreshore exhibition was being held.

The exhibition had been running since the 25th, so this was our last chance to see the largest display of mudlarking finds that had ever been displayed. There were also artists and photographers displaying their work, too, which all centred around mudlarking, mudlarks and the River Thames.

Spread across three floors of the Bargehouse there was much to see and discover. There were displays of coins, medieval jewellery, pottery, keys, skulls, bones, trading tokens, weapons and so much more. These ranged from the Neolithic period, the Roman occupation and on through the centuries to the present day.

There were short videos and talks, where experts shared their knowledge and experiences, often talking about their favourite finds and those items they hoped to find one day.

Mudlarks were everywhere, with their finds on display, explaining how they got into the 'art' of mudlarking and scouring the River Thames foreshore,

Artist Ashleigh Fisk had an art installation, on one of the floors, which comprised of ceramic aretacts and finds from the foreshore, telling the story of Genius Loci of the Thames.

Hannah Smiles was on hand, taking photographs and displaying some of her favourite prints, many of which were of Mudlarks or the River Thames and its foreshore, along with some of her finds.

Adorning some of the walls were photographic portraits by the photographer Julia Fullerton-Batten, which captured the foreshore in all of its glory.

There were also artists on hand, one of whom, Nicola White, had created a piece from plastics that had been found floating in the river, While another, Ed Bucknall, had created paintings on pieces of marble, found along the foreshore.

There were many more experts, artists, photographers and Mudlarks who were easy to talk to and to ask questions of, all of which they were happy to answer.

There was an interactive area where children could make an 'artefact' from plasticine, which could then be hung, with clear nylon, in a perspex box. This simulated items being held in suspension  of the water of the River Thames.

There was also a virtual reality mudlarking box, that you placed your hand beneath. The screen then showed a hand shifting stones and such. When you were ready you 'picked up' an item and it appeared in your hand on the screen. Withdrawing your and you were given a badge, with whichever item you had discovered on it, which you took to one of the displays and the experts would tell you all they could about the item.

All-in-all it was a thoroughly informative and educational day, where much was learnt and discovered by all of us.

Gallery

Society of Thames Mudlarks and Antiquarians

General Lying-In Hospital

A bit of an archaic term, but still a wonderful building.

Considering the amount of regeneration around the South Bank, especially close to the old County Hall and its environs, I am still amazed that wonderful buildings like the General Lying-In Hospital still survive.

Although no longer a hospital it is still part of the Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, who use it as offices and a training facility.

MillenniuM Wheel (London Eye)

The World's tallest cantilevered observation wheel.

The London Eye has become synonymous with the London skyline, becoming the focal point of the New Year's Eve fireworks.

I have walked beneath it countless times, but did not get to take a flight on it until November, 2017.

Booking in advance we managed to get a deal whereby we got two flights on the same day; One in the morning, the other in the evening. And, it was far better than I thought it was going to be, even though the weather wasn't the best.

Lumiere London, 2018

Westminster Abbey looking glorious at Lumiere London 2018.

As soon as the dates were released for this years Lumiere Festival, I knew that I would be attending. Falling across four nights, Thursday 18 - Sunday 21, we decided that the Friday would be the best night for us.

Fortunately, I was allowed to leave work slightly early, thank you to my manager for that, so that I could pick up the girls, with my wife. This afforded us the luxury of being able to leave for London, earlier than expected.

As we had all had a long week, and knowing that Erin (6) and Keilyn (4) would be tired, I had planned a route that would allow us to see some of the installations, while staying close enough to transport links, should the girls become too tired.

Gallery

Foreshore: South

What we leave behind...

It was a gloriously warm Friday morning, in the Unfinished City, as I made my way down on to the foreshore of the River Thames, just west of the MillenniuM Bridge. The tide was still receding, which allowed me to walk along the shore, below Blackfriars Bridge, to the steps in front of the OXO Restaurant Bar & Brasserie.

The foreshore, itself, was remarkably clean with little in the way of litter, making the task of finding those little pieces of history that much simpler. Within minutes I had found some smashed clay pipes, dating from between the 16-18th centuries. This was my first ever find on the foreshore, although I had looked for them on numerous occasions. There were scores of Thames Spuds (old London bricks that have been eroded and rounded by the tide), countless Iron Nails (possibly from where ships had been broken up on the foreshore), pieces of timber (possibly from the broken up ships) and an old wheel that looked as it had come from a horse-drawn carriage.

'City Beyond the Bridge'

City Beyond the Bridge.

Saturday June 6, 2015.

On one of my annual late Summer walks, around the Unfinished City, I dropped down onto the River Thames foreshore and stood beneath Tower Bridge. The summer sun, partially obscured by clouds, caused some great shadows to be cast, allowing me to take this shot.

With the City of London and the Tower of London, in the background, and with waves gently lapping against the foreshore, this a great place to grab some unique shots.

Len's 52nd birthday: Green Park to Westminster... and beyond

Saturday September 8, 2012.

It was that time of the year again, when Len, myself and whoever else is free head off to London. Unfortunately, Steve B was at a wedding and Jason had no babysitter, so it was just Len and myself. 

We took our normal train to London but alighted at Green Park, for a change. Our first port-of-call was the newly erected Bomber Command Memorial in Green Park. The Memorial recognises the 55,573, airmen from all corners of the Commonwealth, who gave their lives to free Europe from Nazi rule, between 1943-45. Although they are remembered at the memorial at Runnymede and also at St. Clement Dane's church, on Strand, they had never had a dedicated memorial... Until now. And what a memorial! Architect Liam O'Connor has created a masterpiece out of Portland Stone, befitting these heroic airmen. The memorial is open to the sky in a symbolic gesture, so that the sun can shine down on the statues of the seven nine-foot bronze airmen, crafted by Philip Jackson. Around the roof of the memorial are sections of aluminium, salvaged from a Handley Page Halifax bomber that crashed in Belgium. There is also an inscription, on the memorial, that says "also commemorates those of all nations who lost their lives in the bombing of 1939-1945." Both myself and Len were completely gobsmacked by the size and presence of the memorial, so much so that it was a subject that kept coming up in conversation throughout the day. I was so affected by the memorial that, as we walked around London, I began to write a poem about it in my head.

From here we headed down Constitution Hill towards Buckingham Palace, where the crowds were gathered for the changing of the guard. So, with many of the normal routes sealed off for the Paralympics marathon, we made a detour on to Pall Mall, then Waterloo Place and on to Horse Guards Road. 

We walked by the Memorial to the Great War and the memorial to the 202 victims of the Bali bombing in 2002, before heading into Parliament Square. As we approached Westminster Abbey, we found all the tourists. The queue to get into Westminster Abbey were some of the longest lines of people that I have witnessed, for anything. Bypassing the crowds we crossed St. Margaret Street and headed into the Victoria Tower Gardens. We stopped in the shade of the trees overlooking the River Thames, before continuing our jaunt. We exited the gardens and crossed Lambeth Bridge and headed along the South Bank. 

The temperature was still climbing into the high 20s, with barely a breeze in the air, so we slowed our pace slightly. As we reached the old County Hall, we decided to grab a bite to eat, which we ate outside before continuing Eastward. Dodging the milling masses, who were there for the Thames Festival as well as the Paralympics, we walked passed the Jubilee Gardens, where a 1000 strong group of children were playing steel drums. It was an awesome sight and the crowds were really enjoying it. We then passed the Royal Festival Hall before going under Waterloo Bridge. With the tide out on the River Thames, children and adults, were walking and playing on the Thames foreshore, as we approached Gabriel's Wharf. 

With the sun beating down we both decided it might be an idea to get a cold drink and find some shade. And, wouldn't you know it, we were by Doggett's pub. The inside of the pub was cool and remarkably quiet, as many of the patrons were using the various terraces on the upper floors, or sitting outside in the sun. This gave us a chance to sit down and watch a bit of Paralympic wheelchair fencing. Sadly the British man lost to the Chinese guy, but it was still fascinating to watch. We sipped our drinks, to make them last, before heading back out onto the South Bank.

Walking with family: Westminster to South Bank... and beyond

Sunday August 12, 2012

My mum, Uncle Martin and myself arrived at Westminster at 16:30. 

Our plan: Walk along the South Bank and take some night shots of London. 

With Westminster closed to traffic, due to the barriers still being in place from the Marathon, earlier in the day, we were able to get unfettered photographs of the Palace of Westminster, Boadicea, City Hall and more. Being able to stand in the middle of Westminster Bridge we were able to get some photographs from different angles. 

We then made our way onto the South Bank and began our stroll towards Tower Bridge. Around the Jubilee Gardens, there were many stalls, artists, rides, entertainers, musicians and much more. The throng of people enjoying the late afternoon sun, including Olympians and Paralympians, only added to the heady atmosphere of London at its best. 

With lots of stops, to take photographs, it was a slow but enjoyable stroll. By the Festival Hall there was a map of the World, made completely out of Lego. Because of its size it was very hard to get a photograph of the whole thing, but it was nice to see. It reminded my of my boxes of Lego that are still in my loft. 

Walking with Alysha: Clink & HMS Belfast

Alysha tries to take my head off with an axe.

Wednesday 4th August, 2010.

Today would be the day that Alysha and I would go on our annual trip to London. It is something we have done for the last few years. Sometimes we go to Museums, other times the sights and sometimes we just go and see what happens when we are there.

We were up early to make sure the cats and fish were fed and that I had had my coffee and Alysha her breakfast, then we were off.

We got to Watford Metropolitan Line Station at 09:30 and boarded our train to Baker Street. We then changed on to the Bakerloo Line and travelled a few stops to the Embankment. 

Once we reached the Embankment, we walked along Eastward along the North bank of the River Thames. Along the way I took a photograph of Alysha with one of the Sphinx, opposite the South Bank Centre. I took some shots of the 'Wellington' steam boat and various other touristy pics, too. 

We carried on along our route and crossed the Thames via the MillenniuM bridge. (Unfortunately it doesn't wobble any more.) 

Once on the South Bank we walked in to the courtyard of the Globe Theatre for a look-see. I took some pics of the flagstone slabs that are etched with many actors, playwrights and directors names. Outside of the courtyard, by the Thames, there was a street performer who was dressed-up as the invisible man. Of course I got a photo of Alysha with him. 

We then carried on along the Thames Path towards Southwark. As we walked along Clink Street, we decided that neither of us had ever been in to the Clink Prison Museum. We soon changed that!